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‘Gravity’ & Real Life

The stunning film Gravity in which two astronauts are lost in space got me to thinking about how often senior living decisions suddenly come upon us.

If you haven’t seen the film, it’s well worth a trip to your local theater. Many think it will be the Academy Award winner as Picture of the Year for 2013. But beware for a roller-coaster ride of visual and sound effects.

When disaster strikes, as it did in Gravity, things quickly spin out of control.I left the theater, pondering the circumstances in which the seemingly-doomed pair was entirely dependent upon one another for survival as they sought to preserve their remaining oxygen supply.

In the movies, some kind of magic ultimately solves a problem but in real life, we often tend to let things go, hoping it may eventually solve itself or just simply go away. That brought to mind families who are suddenly confronted with a need to provide assisted living or memory support for a mother or father without having made advance plans.

Many are especially worried if sufficient resources exist to provide the care they desire for a loved one. Taking the time to explore potential options may often lead to solutions that are not otherwise recognized, i.e., conversion of insurance assets to help subsidize care expenses.

Family members who take time beforehand to discuss the individual’s wishes and circumstances to care for an aging parent often discover how best to put existing resources to use to ensure the best of care.

In Gravity, time was compressed into minutes to make a decision. In real life, we have the luxury of taking time to consider future planning for someone we deeply care about.

We welcome visitors to The Peninsula for confidential chats about circumstances they may face in the future. It is much better to become educated about senior living options before a need arises.